MTV Films Takes on Kanan Rhodes

MTV Films has picked up Kanan Rhodes: Unkillable Servant of Justice, a comedy from Rainn Wilson and Bob Odenkirk, says The Hollywood Reporter. Wilson will star in “Rhodes,” while Odenkirk will direct.

Written by Odenkirk, B.J. Porter and Scott Aukerman, “Rhodes” follows the misadventures of a man who serves subpoenas with the suaveness, intensity and conviction of James Bond, though that is where the similarity ends.

“It’s a souped-up ‘Pink Panther’-slash-‘Ace Ventura’ and overflowing with comic characters,” Odenkirk told the trade. “The appeal of Rainn is that Rainn can play a character who is absolutely sure of himself, who is full of bravado and braggadocio, and in the course of being that guy, he’s hilarious and extremely sympathetic.”

Odenkirk said the script was written seven years ago and sat on the shelf “because we couldn’t find anyone who could pull it off. Until we got Rainn in our brain! A lot of actors would come off as d**ks, but when he does it, it’s sweet and kind of sad.”

The plan is to do a quick rewrite and then to shoot in May, during Wilson’s hiatus from “The Office.”